Quoting Mark G Sobell (mark at sobell.com):
> Here is one view:
>http://mjg59.livejournal.com/77672.html>> And here is a summary of the launchpad info on the problem:
>https://wiki.ubuntu.com/DanielHahler/Bug59695?action=show
(Big picture #1: Ubuntu's been taking heat because an hdparm default with
obviously excellent intentions and rationale interacts badly with some
poorly engineered laptop hardware. Arguably, Ubuntu should have been
less diligent about power management to protect the relatively small
number of people with the incompetently built machines.)
(Big picture #2: ACPI is such a clusterfsck spec that it's surprising
this sort of mishap doesn't occur more frequently.)
One takeaway lesson, which some people (present company very much
excepted ;-> ) take a long time learning, is that distro installation
defaults are not engraved in stone, Linux is not a locked-down
appliance, and your configuration is up to _you_.
When someone says to me "Hey, I don't like my distro's default settings",
I automatically at least think (if not say), "Well, change them, then.
Are your fingers broken?"
hdparm settings are among the many things it's in one's interest to
check and adjust to suit. If that wasn't obvious to most of this
list's readers, y'all can write on your calendars "I learned something
today." ;->